Algerian boxer accused of being a man calls for end to 'bullying' after crushing second female competitor

Algeria's Imane Khelif, one of two boxers participating in the Paris Olympics disqualified last year from the 2023 Women's Boxing World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests, crushed yet another female competitor over the weekend. After the beating, Khelif assumed the mantle of victim.

Criticism has mounted in recent days over the recently reinforced allegations that Khelif, like Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, is an individual possessing male sex chromosomes thrashing his way through a women's sporting competition.

International outrage reached fever pitch when Khelif hammered Italy's Angela Carini hard enough Thursday to prompt the 25-year-old Italian to abandon the fight after 46 seconds.

'Refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects.'

The Hungarian Boxing Association reportedly sent letters of protest to the International Olympic Committee and to Hungary's Olympic committee ahead of Khelif's Saturday match in the women's 66 kg welterweight quarterfinal with Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori.

The Hungarians evidently failed to sway the relevant authorities, as Khelif ultimately entered the ring with Hamori and beat her 5-0. Khelif is now guaranteed to take home a medal and will now fight Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals.

After beating the female Hungarian boxer, Khelif fought to reshape the narrative surrounding the Olympics gender controversy.

According to the Associated Press, Khelif said in an Arabic interview, "I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects."

"It can destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, spirit, and mind," continued Khelif. "It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying."

Khelif also thanked the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, stating, "I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth."

At a press conference Saturday, Bach defended Khelif and Yu-ting, saying, "We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised as a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman."

"We will not take part in a sometimes politically motivated cultural war," said Bach.

In addition to suggesting that criticism of the allegedly male boxers amounted to "hate speech," Bach alleged that the International Boxing Association, which expelled Khelif and Yu-ting last year and was itself banished by the IOC over a long-standing dispute, was waging a "defamation campaign against France, against the games, against the IOC."

'They are impostors promoting gender parity while deliberately deceiving the public and athletes about the true sex of competitors.'

Reuters indicated that Khelif's coach, Mohamed Chaoua, similarly attempted to paint his fighter as a victim.

"It is hard, she has suffered a lot — as a child and now as a champion, she has suffered so much during these games," said Chaoua. "Where is the humanity? Where are the associations for women's rights? She is a victim."

Associations for women's rights are speaking up, but not expressing the sentiment Chaoua likely wants to hear.

Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women's Sports, recently told the feminist publication Reduxx, "The cover-up and championing of male athletes in women's Olympic sports is the greatest sports scandal of our lifetime."

"The IOC MUST reinstate sex verification testing TODAY to begin to prove their commitment to the rights of female athletes," continued Smith. "They are impostors promoting gender parity while deliberately deceiving the public and athletes about the true sex of competitors in the world's most elite and dangerous competition."

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